Mayor Greg Stanton to give annual ‘Toast to Downtown,’ his last as Mayor of Phoenix

The sixth annual Art d’Core Gala will feature a one-night-only exhibition of works by 13 members of the Artlink Artist Council (AAC) paired with works by 13 emerging artists to kick off the 30th Annual Art Detour. The evening celebration of the Phoenix arts and culture community, will take place 6 to 9 p.m. Thursday, March 15, at Warehouse 215 at Bentley Projects, 215 E. Grant St. This creative spin on a traditional gala is hosted by Artlink Inc. in partnership with the City of Phoenix and Downtown Phoenix Inc. and serves as opening night to an Art Detour event that has grown to an expanded six-day, multi-faceted exploration of Phoenix’s arts and culture.

A brief program celebrating the arts and culture community’s contribution to the development of a dynamic downtown Phoenix will be capped by Phoenix Mayor Greg Stanton’s annual “Toast to Downtown,” his last as Phoenix Mayor. In 2017, Mayor Stanton spoke to this contribution by stating, “If you love our downtown…it’s because the artists were here first. They made it for us.” Art Detour 30 embraces this history by spotlighting each of Phoenix’s arts districts that have developed as a result of an engaged arts community.

The AAC is comprised of Arizona-based, established professional artists who have worked 10 years or more in exhibiting and/or producing exhibitions that shine a spotlight on Phoenix. One of the goals of the AAC, created in 2017, is to provide a platform for these professional artists to share their experience with emerging artists, as peer mentors.

In the spirit of this collaboration, this year, each member of the AAC has chosen an up-and-coming artist to be included in the one-night Art d’Core Gala exhibition, doubling the amount of artwork on view in comparison to last year’s event. Works by the following artists will be on view and for sale during the Art d’Core Gala celebration:

Marilyn Szabo and Hunter Zelner

Joe Ray and Armondo Williams

Randy Slack and Megan Koth

Joan Baron and Heather Couch

William Legoullon and Blake Quinn

Christine Cassano and Cydnei Mallory

Bill Dambrova and Eric B Jones

Pete Deise and Sam Fresquez

Patricia Sannit and Amy Manning

Constance McBride and Dani Godreau

Rembrandt Quiballo and Malena Barnhart

Annie Lopez and Katie Owens

Fortoul Brothers and Elizabeth Brice-Heames

The featured art for Art Detour 30, “Salud” by Phoenix artist Michael Viglietta, will also be on display. DJ Rani G will provide the entertainment for the festive evening that includes art, music, dancing and a no host bar. The “Detour” portion of the six-day event begins the following day on Friday, March 16 with tours of arts districts tours and other special events that showcase the culture of the nation’s fifth largest city. See more about the expansion of Art Detour here.

“The invitational exhibition embodies the spirit of Phoenix’s artist community as we kick off the 30th anniversary of Art Detour,” said Artlink President Catrina Kahler. “This special opening night will honor our city’s rich cultural history, point to a bright future, and extend an invitation to all to experience the six-day, 30-year milestone celebration.”

Tickets are $20 per person, $30 per couple and are available until 6 p.m. March 14 at artdetour.com. Tickets will be available at the door day-of for $25 per person, $40 per couple. Event is open to the public. Come as you are; creative cocktail attire encouraged.

The Art d’Core Gala event is a fundraiser for Artlink Inc., an active all-volunteer 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, with a portion of the proceeds dedicated to The Artist Forward Fund (TAFF) a new artist development fund designed to help provide direct financial support to local artists.

IMAGES: Download media images of Art d’Core graphics and featured Art d’Core Gala artwork by Artlink Artist Council and partner artists here. All images are courtesy of the artists and are for promotional use only.

LEARN MORE: Artists and business who would like to learn more about participating in Art Detour 30 are urged to attend the Artlink Mixed Media Happy Hour from 5:30-7:30 pm on Thursday, February 22, 2018 at Desoto Central Market. Register here.

About Art Detour: Art Detour is Produced by Artlink Inc. in partnership with City of Phoenix Mayor’s Office and Office of Arts & Culture, Downtown Phoenix Inc. (DPI), and support from Phoenix Convention Center, Arizona Commission on the Arts, Phoenix Art Museum, Valley Metro, AZCentral/The Arizona Republic, City of Phoenix Public Works Department, City of Phoenix Water Services Department, Muse Apartments, Legends Entertainment District, and Warehouse215. District and programming partners include Roosevelt Row CDC, Phoenix Warehouse District, Central Arts District, Historic Grand Avenue, and also Modern Phoenix Week, Phoenix Urban Design Week, and On Central Fashion + Art Weekend and the Artlink Artist Council (AAC). The new six-day event format of the event will kick off with the opening night Art d’Core Gala celebration; span the weekend with a scheduled exploration of key arts districts and artist studios; and end with a symposium that will spur interest in art collecting, foster artists’ career development, and identify actionable items to create a culturally rich and economically diverse city. For more details on how to sponsor, see this link.

About Artlink Inc.
Artlink keeps the arts integral to the development of our city by connecting artists, business and community. Artlink supports a variety of community-based art events and initiatives, including complimentary trolley tours during the monthly First Friday and Third Friday Art Walks, The Artist Forward Fund, Phoenix Urban Guide, and the annual Art Detour, Art d’Core Gala and Juried Exhibition. Formed as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization in 1989, Artlink is supported by City of Phoenix Office of Arts and Culture, Downtown Phoenix Inc., Arizona Commission on the Arts, and works in partnership with Roosevelt Row CDC, Phoenix Warehouse District, Central Arts District and Historic Grand Avenue. Visit www.artlinkphx.org to sign up for the Artlink newsletter or connect socially on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

]]>Renascent exhibition by Ashley Czajkowski explores tensions between natural forces and influences of control in the corporeal existence

The premiere exhibition of The Artist Forward Fund award recipient opens February 1, 2018, for two nights only

Artlink Inc., in partnership with the Artlink Artist Council (AAC), announces the premiere art exhibition, Renascent, produced by the first grant recipient of The Artist Forward Fund (TAFF) Ashley Czajkowski. Renascent will be a two-night exhibition and will open with an artist reception at 6 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 1. 2018, at 1017 N. Central Ave., in the Roosevelt Row Arts District. The exhibition will be open to the public from 6 to 9 p.m. on Thursday, and from 6 to 10 p.m. on First Friday, Feb. 2, 2018.

Czajkowski’s work in Renascent explores the tenuous boundaries of the nature/culture divide. For this installation, she filmed a series of intimate interactions with a discarded coyote, laying bare the traits of our corporeal existence.*

Renascent, by Ashley Czajkowski, 2018. Image provided by artist.

These interactions attempt an intimate relationship with nature, forging a bond from what has been lost. The work exposes how little control we actually have over these natural forces – time, change, aging, death – and endeavors to discover what we can choose to control – destruction, transformation, creation.

“The ways we enact upon the natural world are often synonymous with the ways in which we interact with our own animal bodies. Taming things on the surface, and ignoring the depths of internal issues,” said Czajkowski. “In this work, the coyote represents a version of ourselves; a beast within which must be nurtured, understood, deconstructed, and re-birthed.”

“The large number of strong TAFF submissions made any final decision by the panel a difficult one, and yet speaks to the volume of talented and committed artists are making work right here in Arizona,” said Christine Cassano, Artlink Artist Council member. “From her submission it was evident that Ashley had a keen interest in pushing through boundaries in her exploration of complex contemporary themes relating to various social constructions and psychological manifestations within the human-animal. As an interdisciplinary artist using film, projection and installation, Ashley felt an exhibit space would enable her to expand her approach to subject matter, methods and materials. This would be a large part of how the Artist Council and Artlink supported Ashley’s vision while working to highlight the importance of contemporary art in Phoenix. ”

*The coyote featured in the video was found and collected postmortem by the artist and has been respectfully preserved. No animals have been harmed for the purpose of this artwork. Due to the nature of the installation content, viewer discretion is advised.

About TAFF and the AAC
Formed in February of 2017, the AAC has identified key areas where the Council, which is comprised of professional artists, can provide support to emerging artists: mentoring, exhibition planning, sharing connections/networking support, portfolio review and practical advice on mounting exhibitions. For the inaugural TAFF call, the AAC sought an artist recipient demonstrating potential in their practice through risk-taking and pushing their work in dynamic ways, who is at a critical juncture in their career when this support would be most impactful.

About Ashley Czajkowski
Ashley Czajkowski is a photography-based artist working in a number of interdisciplinary methods. Driven by personal experience, her research explores social constructions related to femininity, mortality and the psychological manifestation of and the human-animal. Though she considers herself a photographer, Czajkowski also works in video, installation, and alternative print processes, pushing the expected boundaries of the photographic art medium. Czajkowski achieved her Bachelor’s of Fine Art in 2009 from Emporia State University in Kansas, and earned her Master’s of Fine Art in photography in 2015 from Arizona State University. Czajkowski’s work has been exhibited across the United States and internationally. Most recently, her work was shown at the Soho Photo Gallery in New York, The Millepiani Art Space in Rome and the CICA Museum in South Korea. She currently resides in Tempe, Arizona and was the recipient of the inaugural TAFF Award from Phoenix Artlink in 2017. Czajkowski teaches photography courses, works as the sound technician and story editor for the Creative Push Project, and is a member and former President of Eye Lounge Gallery and artist collective in downtown Phoenix. See more of her work at www.ashleyczajkowski.com.

About Artlink Inc.
Artlink keeps the arts integral to the development of our city by connecting artists, business and community. Artlink supports a variety of community-based art events and initiatives, including complimentary trolley tours during the monthly First Friday and Third Friday Art Walks, The Artist Forward Fund, Phoenix Urban Guide, and the annual Art Detour, Art d’Core Gala and Juried Exhibition. Formed as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization in 1989, Artlink is supported by City of Phoenix Office of Arts and Culture, Downtown Phoenix Inc., Arizona Commission on the Arts, Phoenix Art Museum, Dunn Transportation, and works in partnership with Roosevelt Row CDC, Phoenix Warehouse District, Central Arts District and Historic Grand Avenue. Visit www.artlinkphx.org to sign up for the Artlink newsletter or connect socially on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

]]>Four local artists have been selected to design bike rack concepts, with a pair of $4,000 awards at stake.

Earlier this month, Downtown Phoenix Inc., in partnership with Artlink, the City of Phoenix’s Street Transportation Department and Office of Arts and Culture, invited artists and designers to participate in Pedal to the Metal: Phoenix Bike Rack Project, an urban arts initiative that will net 50 new bike racks for downtown and Phoenix.

A call to artists resulted in dozens of portfolios being submitted for consideration. Submissions were reviewed by a panel, who tabbed the following four artists to move on to the project’s design phase:

Working with a fabrication expert, the four finalists will submit their final bike rack designs by Jan. 19. Each of the four artists will receive $250 for their concepts. Once the two winners are chosen, those two designs will graduate to the fabrication phase and approximately 50 new bike racks will be produced and installed in Downtown Phoenix and throughout the city.

Finalists’ designs will be on display during Art Detour 30, which takes place March 15-20, 2018.

Signature Celebration of Phoenix Arts and Culture Expands to Six Days

All are invited to create and Articipate!

Art Detour, Phoenix’s original art walk and the longest running arts festival in downtown Phoenix, will celebrate its 30-year anniversary March 15-20, 2018. The annual event, produced by Artlink Inc., a 501(c)3 nonprofit, was launched by Phoenix artists in 1989 and helped birth the First Fridays phenomenon. Referred to as “one of the most important events on Phoenix’s calendar“ by Phoenix Mayor Greg Stanton, Art Detour 30 will expand to a six-day schedule, and feature a multi-faceted exploration of the arts and culture of America’s fifth-largest city.

The community is invited to detour through the city and celebrate our artistic surroundings over a delightful weekend of cultural discovery. Patrons can meet artists in their working environments, start or expand their art collection, immerse themselves in downtown’s diverse arts districts, and discuss the impact of the arts on the next 30 years of our city’s development. Detour-ists will be invited to step into more than 100 artist studios, galleries, pop-up spaces and other venues, as well as enjoy performances and family-friendly activities.

NEW Event Schedule: The new six-day event format will kick off with the opening night Art d’Core Gala celebration; span the weekend with a scheduled exploration of key arts districts and artist studios; and end with a symposium that will spur interest in art collecting, foster artists’ career development, and identify actionable items to create a culturally rich and economically diverse city.

NEW Artist Opportunities: In addition to a call for representative work for Art Detour 30. Artlink Inc., Downtown Phoenix, Inc. and Phoenix’s Street Transportation Department and Office of Arts and Culture invite artists and designers of all practices to apply for the Pedal to the Metal: Phoenix Bike Rack Project. The artists selected from this call will create new designs for bicycle racks to be placed throughout Phoenix. A selection of submissions will be featured in an exhibition during Art Detour weekend. View calls to artists here.

How Can You Get Involved?

Articipate! Artists (student, emerging, professional) are encouraged to register as an Artlink Articipant to be included in the Artlink Directory, which will be promoted throughout Art Detour 30. Downtown Phoenix-based galleries, arts businesses, and arts-supporting businesses that register as an Articipant will be identified on the official Art Detour 30 map. Read the registration details here.

Current Artist Opportunities:

Artists of all mediums and experience are invited to contribute to the festivities by submitting to calls to artists. Current opportunities include the following:

Pedal to the Metal: PHX Bike Rack Project: Artlink Inc., Downtown Phoenix, Inc. and Phoenix’s Street Transportation Department and Office of Arts and Culture invite artists and designers of all practices to apply for the Pedal to the Metal: Phoenix Bike Rack Project. Read the details of the call here.

Volunteer: Contribute your time to the arts! Sign up to be a tour docent, gallery host or help with guest relations. Sign up here.

EVENT FACTS

When: Thursday, March 15 through Tuesday, March 20, 2018

Where: More than 100 artist studios, galleries, arts and culture venues and arts-supporting businesses in the greater downtown Phoenix area.

Hosts: Art Detour 30 is produced by Artlink Inc., a 501(c)3 nonprofit, in partnership with the City of Phoenix Office of Arts & Culture and Downtown Phoenix Inc. and in collaboration with Roosevelt Row CDC, Historic Grand Avenue, Phoenix Warehouse District and Central Arts District.

Getting Around: Artlink provides maps and transportation options for easy navigation of the Detour. Printed maps and an online map powered by Phoenix Urban Guide (phoenixurbanguide.com) will guide patrons through the six-day event. Artlink will provide complimentary docent-guided trolleys from transportation partner Dunn Transportation on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. The event is also easily accessible by Valley Metro’s Light Rail and GRiD Bikes.

A portion of proceeds from the sale of exhibited artwork will benefit Artlink and will be allocated to The Artist Forward Fund (TAFF), a program produced by Artlink in collaboration with the AAC for the purpose of providing direct financial benefit to local artists.

When: 6 to 9 p.m. Thursday, March 15, 2018

Where: Warehouse215 at Bentley Projects 215 E. Grant St., Phoenix

Hosts: The Art d’Core Gala is hosted Artlink Inc. in partnership with the Office of the Mayor, City of Phoenix Office of Arts & Culture, and Downtown Phoenix Inc.

About Artlink Inc.
Artlink keeps the arts integral to the development of our city by connecting artists, business and community. Artlink supports a variety of community-based art events and initiatives, including complimentary trolley tours during the monthly First Friday and Third Friday Art Walks, The Artist Forward Fund, Phoenix Urban Guide, and the annual Art Detour, Art d’Core Gala and Juried Exhibition. Formed as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization in 1989, Artlink is supported by City of Phoenix Office of Arts and Culture, Downtown Phoenix Inc., Arizona Commission on the Arts, Phoenix Art Museum, Dunn Transportation, and works in partnership with Roosevelt Row CDC, Phoenix Warehouse District, Central Arts District and Historic Grand Avenue. Visit www.artlinkphx.org to sign up for the Artlink newsletter or connect socially on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

Artlink Inc. seeks a representative artwork for Art Detour 30. The work will be used in a designed format as the basis for the Art Detour 30 poster, postcard, and other marketing materials. Artists local to the Phoenix area are encouraged to apply for this award that carries a $300 honorarium.

ABOUT ART DETOUR

Art Detour is Phoenix’s original art walk and the longest running arts festival weekend in Downtown Phoenix.
The annual event began in 1989, and is a roadmap to guide visitrs to meet artists in their working environments, celebrate the growth of our varied arts districts, and set a stage for discussion about the next 30 years of our city’s development. Step into more than 100 artist studios, galleries and other venues, as well as enjoy performances and activities.

The 30-year celebration will be a six-day, multi-faceted exploration of the arts and culture of America’s fifth-largest city. The schedule will include an opening night Art d’Core Gala on March 15; the “Detour” that will highlight arts experiences and studio visits within key arts districts on March 16-18; and on March 19-20, a new Symposium that will support artists’ career development and identify actionable items to create a culturally rich and economically diverse city. Location/Schedule to be announced. Visit artdetour.com for details.

GENERAL GUIDELINES

Art Detour invites the public to discover the downtown Phoenix arts community by offering premiere access to downtown artists and art experiences.

The submitted artwork should help Artlink in celebrating the arts community’s growth over the past 30 years and embody the sense of discovery that the public experiences visiting private working studios and art spaces.

Specifications:

The submitted artwork must be a flat work (can be photography of the 3D piece) in any size and medium – but versatile enough to be represented digitally in a variety of paper and electronic collateral. These include the poster, postcards, map and online communications (varied dimensions).

The artist will be invited to exhibit the original artwork at the Art d’Core Gala on Thursday, March 15th.

Artlink will retain all rights to use work in any manner chosen.

Artlink may choose to use work on commercial goods for sale during the time of the events. The artist will receive a royalty of 20% for any goods sold.

The artist’s work will be used by designers to format the poster with text and other information about Detour. The original artwork will remain the property of the artist.

Eligibility: Any artist currently living and working in Arizona.

Deadline for submissions: Friday, December 22, 2017 (midnight)

The work will be chosen and the announcement made on Thursday, December 28, 2017.

The Artlink board reserves the right to change the project timeline.

HOW TO APPLY

Artists interested in this project must prepare and submit the following:

A high quality digital representation of the piece. Minimum 300dpi. This should be a JPG, TIFF or PNG file.

A brief statement about why the submitted images fit the theme.

A maximum of three works.

Titles, dates of completion, materials used in the original work, and size.

]]>Call to Artists: New PHX Bike Rackshttps://artlinkphx.org/call-to-artists-new-phx-bike-racks/
Thu, 30 Nov 2017 00:11:19 +0000https://artlinkphx.org/?p=4550Artists selected from this call will create new designs for bicycle racks to be installed downtown and throughout Phoenix.

Four finalists will earn a stipend of $250 and two winning artists will be awarded $4,000 each.

Finalists’ designs will be on display during Art Detour 30, which takes place March 15-20, 2018. After the Art Detour exhibition, two finalists will move forward with fabrication, and get to see their creations brought to life as functional assets in downtown and throughout the city.

These eye-catching racks will be important amenities for Phoenix’s growing bike culture and contribute aesthetic value to our community’s streetscapes.

“This is an important initiative that will have a tangible impact on how our streets look and feel,” said Downtown Phoenix Partnership Executive Director Dan Klocke. “The best streets are user-friendly, yes, but should also be interesting and representative of the neighborhoods in which they’re located.”

As a community-focused project, Pedal to the Metal strives to be highly inclusive. All artists, designers and creative individuals or teams–whether or not they specialize in industrial product design–are encouraged to apply. The project includes a workshop to help participants prepare their ideas for submission. The workshop will be held at Downtown Phoenix Inc. headquarters [1 E. Washington St. #230] on Wednesday, Dec. 6, from 6-7:30 p.m.

Downtown Phoenix Inc. (DPI) is a community development group created in 2013 to advance the continued revitalization of Downtown Phoenix. A collaboration of business leaders, City of Phoenix staff and community leaders, DPI coordinates activities between the Downtown Phoenix Partnership, Phoenix Community Alliance and Downtown Phoenix Community Development Corporation.

ABOUT ARTLINK:

Artlink keeps the arts integral to the development of our city by connecting artists, business and community. Artlink supports a variety of community-based art events and initiatives, including complimentary trolley tours during the monthly First Friday and Third Friday Art Walks; The Artist Forward Fund, Phoenix Urban Guide and the annual Art Detour, Art d’Core Gala and Juried Exhibition. Formed as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization in 1989, Artlink is supported by City of Phoenix Office of Arts and Culture, Downtown Phoenix Inc., Arizona Commission on the Arts, Phoenix Art Museum, Dunn Transportation, and works in partnership with Roosevelt Row CDC, Phoenix Warehouse District, Central Arts District and Historic Grand Avenue. Visit www.artlinkphx.org to sign up for the Artlink newsletter or connect socially on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

ABOUT PHOENIX OFFICE OF ARTS AND CULTURE:

The Phoenix Office of Arts and Culture, established by the Phoenix City Council in 1985, works to foster a sense of cultural identity, celebrate diversity and ensure an outstanding quality of community life. The Public Art Program was established in 1986 to improve the design of the city’s buildings, spaces and infrastructure. The Office is advised by a 22-member Phoenix Arts and Culture Commission. For more information on the Office of Arts and Culture, visit phoenix.gov/arts or call 602-262-4637. Follow the Office on Facebook: www.facebook.com/phxofficeofartsandculture and Twitter @phxarts_culture.

]]>Free trolley will operate monthly in addition to First Friday Trolley Tour

Artlink is excited to announce a new complimentary Third Friday Trolley Tour that will operate in addition to its First Friday Tours. With one additional tour each month, art lovers will find it even easier to access Phoenix’s arts districts and destinations. The Third Friday trolley will circulate between Roosevelt Row and the Historic Grand Avenue Arts Districts, and the downtown Phoenix core, with periodic stops along the route. Patrons will be invited to hop-on hop-off where they choose, with an invitation to vsit galleries and cultural venues such as Modified Arts, eye lounge, {9} The Gallery, the new Sisao at Oasis on Grand or the Herberger Gallery at Arizona Center. Volunteer docents will staff the trolleys, providing information on the night’s arts and culture offerings. The trolleys will operate between 6 p.m. and 9 p.m. each third Friday, effective Friday, November 17, 2017.

Each circuit will take approximately 25 minutes to travel it in its entirety. The trolleys, provided by Dunn Transportation, Artlink’s official transportation partner, have been serving First Fridays for several years, with over 6,000 riders hopping aboard last year.

“We are encouraged by the growing demand for the arts in Phoenix and are thrilled to work with our district partners and Dunn Transportation to connect patrons to the increasingly popular arts and culture offerings one more night each month,” said Artlink Board President Catrina Kahler. “Third Friday has long been considered the more arts-centric version of Phoenix’s Fridays by arts enthusiasts and we look forward to introducing the night to a new audience.”

The route is now permanent for all Third Fridays with a similar version scheduled for March Third Friday during Art Detour 30, Artlink’s annual multi-day celebration of the arts’ influence in developing the America’s fifth-largest city. More details about Art Detour 30, March 15-20, will be announced at www.artdetour.com.

About Artlink Inc.
Artlink keeps the arts integral to the development of our city by connecting artists, business and community. Artlink supports a variety of community-based art events, including complimentary Trolley Tours during the monthly First Friday Art Walk, one of the nation’s largest self-guided art walks; a pop-up gallery program; the Infusion arts initiative; and the annual Juried Exhibition, Art Detour, and Art d’Core Gala. Artlink is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization and is supported by City of Phoenix Office of Arts and Culture, Downtown Phoenix Inc., Arizona Commission on the Arts, Phoenix Art Museum, The Arizona Republic, Dunn Transportation, Roosevelt Row CDC, Warehouse District, Central Arts District and Historic Grand Avenue. Visit www.artlinkphx.org to sign up for the Artlink newsletter or connect socially on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

]]>Artlink Introduces New Opportunities for Artists to Engage in the Arts Community

‘Articipation’ Options to Lower Economic Barriers, Further Develop an Artist Directory and More

Artlink Inc., a Phoenix-based nonprofit whose mission is to keep the arts integral to the development of our city, announces new “Articipation” opportunities to fully embrace the Phoenix artist community and further support their pursuit of successful careers in Phoenix.

Coinciding with the upcoming 30th anniversary of Art Detour March 15-20, 2018, Artlink’s new offerings seek to both lower the economic barriers of engagement and to expand definitions of participation to better serve the artist community.

All working artists are invited to register and may choose to engage at one of the following Articipation levels:

All Access: This turnkey option for visual and performing artists includes complimentary Artlink artist call submissions, a listing in the Artlink Artist Directory powered by Phoenix Urban Guide, tickets to Artlink’s Art d’Core Gala on March 15, 2018, and other opportunities as they arise. ($60 annual registration fee. Students with a school ID receive a discounted $24 rate.)

Artist Studio: A new option specifically designed for those artists who open their studios located within the central Phoenix area, depicted by a dot on the official First Friday map, Art Detour map and on PhoenixUrbanGuide.com. These artists also receive the benefits provided in the All Access level above. ($60 annual registration fee.)

À la Carte: A new option for artists who want to be included in the Artlink Artist Directory, a showcase of all artists that will be actively promoted to businesses and the public. (No annual registration fee. Fees for optional calls, Gala tickets and other opportunities apply.)

“We are dedicated to the development of the arts in our changing city,” says Catrina Kahler, Artlink Board President. “With the upcoming 30-year landmark Art Detour event, it is a priority to ensure that we are meeting the needs of artists and continue to connect them with business opportunities and promote their work to entire community.”

Since 1989, Artlink has supported a variety of community-based art events, including complimentary Trolley Tours during the monthly First Friday Art Walk, one of the nation’s largest self-guided art walks; a pop-up gallery program; the Infusion arts initiative; and the Artlink Juried Exhibition, Art Detour, and Phoenix Urban Guide.

About Artlink Inc.
Artlink keeps the arts integral to the development of our city by connecting artists, business and community. Artlink supports a variety of community-based art events, including complimentary Trolley Tours during the monthly First Friday Art Walk, one of the nation’s largest self-guided art walks; The Artist Forward Fund (TAFF); a pop-up gallery program; the Infusion arts initiative; and the Artlink Juried Exhibition, Art Detour, and Art d’Core Gala. Artlink is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization and is supported by City of Phoenix Office of Arts and Culture, Downtown Phoenix Inc., Arizona Commission on the Arts, Phoenix Art Museum, The Arizona Republic, Dunn Transportation, Roosevelt Row CDC, Phoenix Warehouse District, Central Arts District and Historic Grand Avenue. Visit www.artlinkphx.org to sign up for the Artlink newsletter or connect socially on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

Invitation to Phoenix Nonprofit Arts & Culture Organizations:

The Phoenix Office of Arts and Culture has partnered with Artlink in the development of a a centralized arts and culture events calendar. We’re offering a hands-on orientation of this new marketing tool powered by Phoenix Urban Guide (PUG). If you are a nonprofit representative working with the City of Phoenix, please RSVP here.

Time for Mixed Media Happy Hour!

We’re heading to FOUND:RE Phoenix for an evening of mixing & mingling while enjoying featured bar & bites specials. Artists, art venues, business and community members who support the Phoenix arts scene are all invited! RSVP here.

]]>Artlink’s 2017 Annual meeting was held on Wednesday, June 14, at Phoenix Art Museum. The Artlink board welcomed 110 attendees, including artists, arts advocates, and representatives of the City of Phoenix, galleries, performing arts, and other arts organizations.

The meeting opened with a video introduction of Artlink, followed by a welcome from Artlink board member Margaree Bigler, representative of Phoenix Art Museum. Margaree introduced honored guest, Amada Cruz, Sybil Harrington Director and CEO of Phoenix Art Museum.

Amada congratulated Artlink on the pending 30-year anniversary Art Detour and lauded the hard work of community investment in the urban core over that time. Upon coming to Phoenix, she asked who “owned hip” in the Valley and it was very clear that it was downtown. The reason Phoenix Art Museum is thriving is because of all the hard work invested by those here; it takes this ecosystem of people to make a city great. The Museum is thrilled to be partners and looks forward to the next 30 years.

Photo by Kyle Field.

Board Elections

Artlink President Catrina Kahler proceeded with the meeting, beginning with the election of the 2017-2018 Board of Directors. Thanks were given to past board members Jill Bernstein, Sarah Levi and Mark Scarp who stepped down from the board earlier this year. Bernstein had served on the board since 2011. The board thanks them for their significant contributions.

By unanimous vote, the Artlink board renewed the terms of three directors:

Catrina provided an overview to the organization statistics included in a “by the numbers” annual report that reflected the past year’s work of Artlink, an organization whose operations are managed by a volunteer board of directors. The report includes the number of Art d’Core Gala attendees (600+); the Juried Exhibition sales ($16K) and awards given to artists from Artlink ($7750); the growing number of Mixed Media attendees (150+); and the number of submissions to artist calls (471).

Click to enlarge.

The next Mixed Media Happy Hour will be scheduled in July.

The board expressed its gratitude to Downtown Phoenix Inc., for its partnership in printing First Friday maps.

Catrina introduced Artlink Treasurer Rick Naimark who reported on Artlink’s 2016-2017 finances. The emphasis on this year’s budget was on one-time investments that included Phoenix Urban Guide development and an updated brand and logo for the organization. The annual budget is approximately $75,000 to $80,000, much of which composed of sponsorships, grants and in-kind contributions. Articipant fees account for one percent of the budget. Artlink will be looking at ways to connect with organizations who are interested in connecting with artists.

The Artist Forward Fund (TAFF)

Catrina introduced the new TAFF program. Artlink allocated $500 to the initial grant and is looking to make a long term commitment to the fund and its growth.

As a step in this direction, it was announced that For the People owners, Shawn Silberblatt and Chad Campbell, agreed to sponsor the new program by matching this initial grant, bringing the total grant funds to $1000.

Catrina introduced Vice President Sally Russell and Arts Committee Chair Constance McBride. Sally spoke to the importance of TAFF as a means of supporting artists. Constance emphasized the need for the arts community to grow along with the city. TAFF represents a new way to support, and mentor, artists.

Approximately 75% of the attendees were familiar with PUG. Catrina spoke briefly to the functionality of the site and the opportunity for both artists and arts destinations to upload their exhibition information. Artlink is partnering with the Phoenix Office of Arts & Culture on the development of the new calendar function, which will represent a single connected voice for the arts and culture community. Nicole Pasteur, representative of the Office of the Mayor, was in attendance and recognized for the City’s support of Artlink.

Art Detour 30

Artlink originated from the Art Detour event, which will celebrate its 30th anniversary in 2018. It’s not just an event for the public; it creates connectivity and community within the arts and culture community.

The dates for Art Detour 30 will be on the Third Friday weekend in March 2018: The Art d’Core Gala will once again be an opening night event on Thursday, March 15; Friday through Sunday will be the “Detour”; and Monday/Tuesday will be a series of symposiums that will focus on artist career development and the intersection between the arts and the community at large.

Planning for the weekend Detour may evolve so that the event activity and promotion can be more focused. Each day presents an opportunity to focus on a specific district.

The 30 year logo was unveiled with an invitation to everyone to suggest topics for the symposiums planned for the event.

A question was asked about trolley service during the weekend. The trolleys will likely run Friday through Sunday but the programming plan needs to further develop.

The goal of Art Detour 30 is to further establish Phoenix on the national arts and culture map. To do this, there is a need to focus on the quality of art, as well as the number of artists and the quantity of arts experiences.

A question was asked about the timing of Art Detour on the same weekend as Mesa’s Spark Festival. Artlink was pressed in recent years to maintain a consistent Art Detour weekend and committed to the Third Friday weekend. Artlink is interested in connecting Phoenix and Mesa, and finding a regional connection. Other comments referenced events such as Art Basel and Vivid that build energy and create geographical cohesiveness by connecting arts events happening in multiple areas of a city. Dorina Bustamante, representing Downtown Phoenix Inc., spoke to the opportunity to connect and become more of a national draw. Catrina confirmed that Artlink is open to collaboration.

Acknowledgements

Thanks to West Elm, a national retailer that supports local artists and is opening at Uptown Plaza, at Central and Camelback, on June 29. On June 28, there will be a pre-grand opening event and a portion of the proceeds with benefit Artlink.

Special recognition was given to Leslie Criger, who serves as operations support for Artlink, acting as Articipant liaison, and volunteer coordinator.

Artlink is making a commitment to pursue grants so that it may grow with energetic and skilled staff that will support the growth of the organization moving forward.